


Secret of the Sirens

by Frauggie



Category: Free!
Genre: Grandmothers that know way too much, I don't know where this story is going, M/M, Sirens, but end game is Rin/Haru if I need to change this story to make it that way., flowershop, how do action?, tagging for one-sided Haru/Mako, tags will be added as the story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-05-30 02:17:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6404635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frauggie/pseuds/Frauggie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru had an ordinary life, as the owner of a flower shop his grandmother left to him. She’d always warned him about being ordinary, but Haru didn’t mind. He had friends and even love, though unrequited. But when Haru is plunged into the world of sirens through a curse one day, he’s not so sure ordinary would describe things anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Written adaptation of “[Siren’s Lament](http://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/sirens-lament/list?title_no=632)”, webtoon by instantmiso
> 
> (Follows nearly exact storyline of this romance webtoon, but I just had to write a RinHaru version of this amazing work of art, so here you go. I take no credit except for written adaptation, so if you like this go read the original!)

###  Prologue: 

 

The moon was low in the sky, just barely out of reach from the waves crashing onto the rocky shoreline. Outcroppings paved the way down into the depths, through what the moonlight couldn’t reach. Below the surface, a stream of bubbles floated up, escaping the murkiness, while a body sank. Deeper and deeper he went, the darkness swallowing him, and he knew this was it.

 

_ The end begins here. _

 

Salt water filling his lungs, and ice-cold temperature piercing his skin, he found himself sinking further into the depths. He was unable to move, unable to cry out, pain paralyzing him as all traces of light vanished and he no longer knew which was was up, or down, other than the small voice in the back of his mind that told him he was drowning.

 

Perhaps he was hallucinating the fish gathering around him, swirling and silhouetted in the moonlight and he couldn’t help but think of the irony as he was going to be joining them soon. Slowly, one by one, each of his senses faded out. All sound disappeared, all feeling in his fingertips, the ache in his bones, the pain in his lungs, and even his vision as it tunneled into darkness. 

 

All that was left was an intense fear and helplessness that had taken root in him and spread, and he couldn’t remember the words his grandmother said once, her voice drowned out by silence, but he could read her lips. 

 

_ The water has a mind of it’s own. _

 

And all turned black but for the smallest pinprick of light, a glimmer off something that shone. Red. It was a flash of red, though what red was doing in the middle of the sea, he didn’t know. But he did hear a song.

 

_ “O broken hearted one, _

_ Your soul has grown weary…” _

 

It might have been his imagination, but there was warmth nearby, as the song flowed into him. It invoked a sense of strength, and power, though where it was from he did not know.

 

_ “Have you turned to the rippling tides _

_ to engulf your lonely tears?” _

 

It was getting closer, more prominent, but he was slipping away and he’d miss when it reached him.

 

_ “May the waves embrace you, _

_ Lull you softly to sleep…” _

 

His eyes closed if they hadn’t been already, his body numb to everything but the song echoing in his mind.

 

_ “Ease away all the hurt and pain _

_ That you’ve carried through the years” _

 

There was definitely power in the song, in something that was happening, but he couldn’t grasp it. 

 

_ “But if given the chance, _

_ Would you forget the past?” _

 

The warmth was surrounding him, tickling him, teasing him.

 

_ “You and I can start all over” _

 

He was taken, locked solid, and he didn’t want to lose that warmth. Those gentle fingers of it caressing his skin.

 

_ “We can love again, my dear.” _

 

And with that gentle warmth pressing on his lips, everything went silent.

  
  


_ If only life had a rewind setting. _

 

_ I think everyone wishes that at least once in their lifetime. _

 


	2. 1 - The Main Attraction

There was a little shop on the corner of Ashbury and Main, set next to a bakery and just down the street from Louie’s Italian Restaurant. The sign above the wooden awning covering the windows  read out in a scripted font, “Carnation”, and below that just off to the right side in uncapitalized smaller script read “flower shop”.

The place was brightly lit, sunlight streaming through the windows to pass the brick facing on the front of the shop. It shone through the glass fish windchime and fell onto the carnations that decorated the counter with orange and a hint of glowing pink. Slightly bothered by them, the figure rearranging them frowned, minutely distracted from his inventory papers scattered about the desk.

“Didn’t like the color?” A voice questioned, and the figure looked up and away from the flowers, the new presence coloring his cheeks slightly. Only this voice could make him react in such a way that he grew nervous, but the pure smile on the other’s face was as kind as ever.

“I thought it looked nice,” he continued, setting down the watering pale he carried and dusted a bit of potting soil off his apron. The nametag hooked over his heart read “Makoto”, and even if Haruka knew it by heart when he was just a few years old, he still liked seeing the name paired with that genuine smile of his. It made Haruka feel warm and comfortable.

“It’s not working,” Haruka started, turning away from the brightness of Makoto’s smile and the kindness of his words, going back to the carnation arrangement to mess with it some more in an attempt to figure out what was wrong about it.

“Why not? It compliments you.” Now Haruka really couldn’t look at him, fearing the heat that rushed to his cheeks would be visible by the tall young man, tanned skin and sunkissed hair radiating an earthly glow no other could have.

“Too busy,” He muttered, hoping Makoto understood his meaning. Makoto always did, having grown up together and become fast friends, and there was a sort of telepathy they had going. Only, it didn’t run deep, because Haruka couldn’t let it. There was something he’d been keeping from Makoto, and Haruka would make sure he never knew.

“You always did like things simple,” he mused “That’s what’s so great about you, Haru. You have that natural charm.” As he went back to watering the flowers, Haruka felt like he’d pass out from overheating. When would this end? He needed a cold bath, and soon.

If he was really honest though, Makoto was truly the charming one of them. Tall, tanned, and handsome, he was strong, kind, gentle, and honestly just the perfect guy. There was no wondering why the flower shop was still in business, with a guy like him working here.

“Makoto, you’re over-watering the lilies.” Said guy jolted out of a smile, bringing the pail up with a start and Haruka couldn’t help but sigh.  


 

A few years ago when Haruka’s grandmother had passed away, he had inherited this flower shop. He’d only been able to fully take over as soon as he’d graduated high school, but he’d always been worried about running the place on his own. Haruka never was a sociable person, and running a business required more contact with people than what he was comfortable with.

He glanced over as a small group of girls entered the shop, about to welcome them in the standard practice of all shop owners when he saw where their gazes lay. Directly on Makoto. Choosing to quietly watch instead, Haruka reminisced back to the early days, when Makoto had stepped in and offered to help. To think he’d been working here ever since had Haruka counting down to the number of lucky days he had left. Makoto was truly too good to be true.

“Let me know if you’re looking for anything in particular, ladies.” His voice washed over the girls and Haruka saw immediately how their attitudes brightened.

“Okay!” Predictable, that’s what it was. But he couldn’t say anything, because Makoto was the main attraction of this shop. He brought in the girls, who brought in the guys interested in buying flowers for those girls. Even if 95% of the girls didn’t buy anything, and just ogled at the cute, handsome, dreamy flower shop worker.

As Makoto looked over and started heading back to the counter after the girls left, Haruka refused to admit he was just like them, but at least he knew Makoto was taken.

“Those girls remind me of when you and Nagisa were in middle school.” Frowning, Haruka didn’t answer. There was no way he was anything like that in middle school. Nagisa, maybe, but definitely not him.

“Haru-chaaaan~!!” Came the cry from the back of the shop, and Makoto broke out in giggles.

“Speak of the devil,” he managed, and Haruka took a deep breath. Sometimes Nagisa was just too much.

“Haru-chan! Are you free tonight?” As a bright blonde ball of energy bounced up to the counter next to him and Makoto, Haruka wondered just what had him so excited.

He didn’t even have to do more than glance over before he found out.

“Me and my sweetiepie are going out for karaoke and drinks! I hear some cute guys are gonna be there~ wanna come with?” Ah, so that was it. Haruka saw the flipped collar on Nagisa’s shirt and as Makoto leaned over to fix it, he considered the proposition. Makoto was always the best big brother.

As big round pink eyes invaded his space though, Haruka sighed. “I have plans.”

“Aww… boooo~” he cooed, frowning and spreading himself over the counter. “You never make time for me anymore. I thought we were besties…”

“We were at your place last night.” If Haruka didn’t watch it, Nagisa would knock over that vase of carnations he’d been messing with earlier. Even those flowers didn’t deserve that.

Unable to keep to himself any longer, Makoto chimed in. “I’ll be stealing your bestie for the night, little bro.”

Now that had Nagisa pouting all over again, and seeing that made Haruka feel a touch guilty. But plans were plans after all, and these were with _Makoto_. Nagisa would understand.

“Ew, gross. Are you guys gonna go swimming in the lake again?” Curious pink eyes darted between blue and green ones, but Haruka could looked fondly out the window, unable to look at either of them directly in the eyes.

“It’s warm and there’s a full moon tonight,” he answered, half wondering if that was enough of an answer for the blonde. Seeing as how he was still silent, it obviously wasn’t. “We… haven’t been to the lake as often since-”

“Ah - Kisumi is here!” Makoto spoke up with the sound of a motor out the front of the shop, and Haruka turned to glance out the window. Indeed, the figure parking his vehicle out front was one they all recognized. “I’ll be right back. I promised I’d wish Kisumi good luck on his interview before he leaves town today.”

And with a whoosh, Makoto was out the door and into the arms of the man he was dating.

“Ugh, good riddance. I bet Kisumi’s not even going to come inside to greet us!” Nagisa rounded the counter to stand next to Haruka and stick out his tongue and a few choice fingers at the front window, while all Haruka found himself doing was nodding in acknowledgement at Makoto taking a few minutes off to greet his boyfriend.

“Look at him, on his stupid pink Vespa like an oversized Ken doll.” While it was true that Kisumi was tall, Makoto was definitely the taller between them, and honestly Haruka thought they suited each other, at least a little bit. “Walking around like he’s all that and a bag of chips - and a coupon for next time!”

Turning to the friend next to him, Haruka nearly broke out into a smile.

“He makes Makoto happy.” The only reason Nagisa was so defensive about his own brother was because he knew how Haruka felt, and for that reason he was definitely a little bit guilty.

Frowning at his remark, Nagisa turned to Haruka. “Come on, Haru-chan. You can’t honestly think he’s the best thing that ever happened to Mako-chan!”

There wasn’t much he could say however, as Haruka glanced away from both his best friend and the front window, his eyes downcast further than he should have ever allowed. He really didn’t need this reminder of what just wouldn’t be.

The blonde took notice, seeing the inner Haruka hurting inside. He absolutely hated seeing his friend unable to smile like that. “Are… you sure you don’t want to come with me and Rei-chan tonight? It’ll be fun.”

Haruka shook his head. That was precisely why he needed to go with Makoto, since the times they could go to the lake together were growing more and more rare. His thoughts though, were broken by a large gasp, and quickly snapped his head around to follow Nagisa’s gaze to the source: the carnations Haruka was messing with earlier.

“These flowers! I just arranged them yesterday!” Holding out the vase to Haruka, Nagisa peeked around it with a frown.

Now Haruka really had done it. He frowned right back, pulling the vase out of his friend’s hands. “It was too busy.”

“You see, Haru-chan! This is exactly your problem!” Nagisa grabbed the vase right back and set it down, pink irises glaring right back into blue.

Haruka nearly winced. “Flowers?”

“No! It’s you! You’re always afraid of making changes and you instantly reject anything that’s new!” Exasperated, Nagisa was gesturing wildly though it was completely unnecessary for him to explain himself. “Makoto and Kisumi have been dating for a year now and I can tell you still have feelings for-”

Haruka turned away, mumbling quickly about needing to order more tulips, a hint of pink on the tips of his ears. Nagisa wasn’t having any of it.

“Hey, are you listening to me?” The blonde jumped up to scamper in front of Haruka, and his eyes downturned just the slightest to the point it nearly hurt to look away. There were times Nagisa was just adorable, and even Haruka had to admit it.

Seeing Haruka had paused, he continued. “What I’m trying to say is, I just want you to be happy.” This time he shuffled his feet and glanced around to capture the essence of the shop. “Live a little and take chances sometimes. You always coop yourself up here in the shop.”

Blue eyes followed and Haruka sighed, noting the familiar wooden walls, the rows and rows of tulips, carnations, roses, and lilies. He took a deep breath and the natural perfume of floral pervaded his senses, and it was familiar. It was home.

“... I am happy, Nagisa.” Finally turning back to the blonde a small imitation of the earlier pout found it’s way to his face. “Besides I live upstairs. It’s my home, not a prison.”

Nagisa must have felt a little better, for he smiled then stuck his tongue out at Haruka with a teasing, “Prison disguised as flowers!”

“Watch it,” Haruka warned, narrowing his eyes in retaliation.

Nagisa only giggled and lifted a finger to poke at Haruka’s cheek, melting the pout held there a bit. “Fine. But if you change your mind later, call me.”

Haruka leaned towards the poke unconsciously sighing and nodding in answer. Taking that as enough, Nagisa bounced right up and on his way back out. “Speaking of which, I gotta make a call!”

Haruka watched him go, leaning on the counter as he glanced out the window at Makoto and Kisumi, latched onto the brunette with a smile on his face. All the good cheer Nagisa had stirred up left as he deflated back onto the counter, and bothering him enough to grab a spray bottle from under it and start cleaning.

Cleaning had always been needed, but it was therapeutic in a way. Just busy work to rearrange the shop, keep it in working order, and yet it was enough in ways to distract him from most of his thoughts. Because of this, the shop was always in pristine shape, and had that cute charm and flourished with life that one expected of a flower shop and more.

But most was not all, and some of the heavier ones seeped through the repetitive actions of wiping down a counter, leaving Haruka with a bit more of a heavy heart than he’d hoped, even in the last hours of the sunshine bursting through the windows. Despite the number of customers and the good friend he had in Makoto and Nagisa, Haruka was very aware he was alone here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to have a chapter up a week, I'll make that a goal as a writer and to myself. Unless I ever happen to catch up to the comic... which I hope doesn't happen cause I need a couple weeks leeway!


	3. 2 - As It Always Has

The hush of the waves of the small coastal town of Iwatobi shimmered, the ripples of the water reflecting the last warm rays of the sun. As violet clouds rolled by overhead. A short distance away, a sign of the shop Carnation hung in the window, notifying patrons of an early closure, a few planters left out to soak up the last of the sun’s rays they could for the day.

Up the stairs behind the register and around the corner, a figure stood before a mirror, one hand smoothing the bangs that hung in his face to one side. His grandmother had always told him beauty could be found in the even the dreariest of places, but with something like this right now, Haruka wasn’t so sure. 

Tucking a few stray strands back in place and readjusting his shirt, at last Haruka turned away from the mirror. Yes, he was going to the lake with Makoto tonight, and what the hell was he doing fixing his hair anyways? They were going to swim, like they always did. Why was he getting so nervous?

Turning back to the mirror, he sighed. His shirt was old and worn, his jacket just a touch too big on him, and what point is he even trying to prove anyways? Trying to dress up for a friend that will only ever like him as such? That has a boyfriend who’s an aspiring fashion designer? There’s no way Haruka who’s always had his choice in clothes picked out by bargain bins, his grandmother, and odd tastes in video games and fish could even compare. 

Why was he even trying?

Kisumi was likely nailing his interview and getting his designs approved at this very moment, and they surely didn’t include beat up jeans, a worn shirt, and an oversized jacket Haruka was sure Makoto had lent him months ago yet they both forgot about.

Stepping back, he sat on the edge of his bed, tilting his face to the skylight above, the glow bright but soft enough to get lost in. 

He was a fool to even compare himself to Kisumi. There was nothing good that would come out of that, he knew it all the way from the bottom of his heart. Slowly, he shifted to glance over at the nightstand next to his bed, the framed picture there bringing a small ache to his chest. 

The photograph held the two of them from a few years previous, while Haruka and Nagisa were starting out high school. Haruka was sure Nagisa was the excited one to take the picture that day, making Haruka stand so close to Makoto he was sure Makoto could hear his heartbeat. But Makoto had just smiled that familiar warm grin, and Haruka managed to make his face just as stony and emotionless as ever, but for a small spark in his eyes. The picture didn’t capture it that well, the thought, but then he remembered that day like it was just last week instead of years previous.

Perhaps there wasn’t any need to compare his relationship with Makoto to Kisumi’s. Things were just as they had been back then, and Makoto wasn’t any less of a friend to him. 

Sighing, he took off the oversized jacket and replaced it with one of his own, a smaller black piece that fit him a bit better, though was just as worn as the shirt. That was better.

“Haru? I’m back!” Haruka turned away from the mirror towards the door leading downstairs to where the voice had come from.

“Makoto…” he called back, unsure whether the other could hear him or not. 

“Are you still in the bath? I’m not too early, am I?” Makoto chuckled then, and just the sound of it brought Haruka back to his senses. “Or maybe I’m late? Is it really six o’clock already?” 

Glancing down the steps, Haruka noticed he was looking at the cuckoo clock on the wall next to the entryway and sighed.

“That clock is broken,” he reminded the brunette, and as green eyes looked up at him gliding down the steps, Haruka wondered just what was going through his mind, as he seemed surprised for a moment.

“Hey Haru,” he smiled, and the moment was gone. Was it just a figment of Haruka’s imagination? “That’s a nice jacket. But, are you sure you want to go to the lake in that? It could get chilly.”

“Ah…” Haruka’s eyes widened at the realization that he hadn’t dressed for going to the lake at all. In fact, he’d even forgotten his swimsuit, though Makoto wouldn’t have been able to notice at this point. Haruka never forgot his swimsuit.

“It’s okay!” Makoto hurried and grabbed his arm before the raven-haired boy could turn to go back up the steps to change. “You don’t have to change it, you look nice. Why don’t we go for a walk instead?” 

That smile would kill him one of these days, paired with the brightest green eyes Haruka had ever seen.

“We can take pictures while the sun goes down. I caught a glimpse of the ocean on my way here and it was great! It’ll be fun, what do you think?” 

How could Haruka ever turn down that smile? Nodding, he watched carefully as green eyes lit up then closed in an even wider smile and he knew he’d made the right decision. The ocean was always calming anyways, maybe it could do wonders to cool the things going through him right now.

Nearly skipping up the steps with a lighter heart than he would have ever admitted, Haruka eased his way into his room to grab his camera, knowing Makoto didn’t bring one with him. 

Yes, this is how it’s always been.

As he made his way down the steps once more though, he found Makoto facing away from him and towards the front of the shop, caught in a conversation on his phone.

“... Babe, it’s going to be okay. Deep breaths, alright?” 

This certainly didn’t sound good.

“Your designs were too good for them anyways, I’m sure you’ll get the position at the other company.” 

Now Haruka was sure it was Kisumi on the phone.

“Do you want me to pick you up? I don’t want you to head back on your own like this…” 

What was this pricking feeling in his chest? No, Haruka knew.

“I’m just with Haru right now, I’ll ask him if I can postpone our plans for tonight.”

“Don’t-” Haruka started, before he could stop himself and Makoto twisted to listen, the apology clear in his eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to say no to that, even if that’s what he really wanted. “Don’t let me hold you back. Kisumi needs you. Go.”

The smile received in return didn’t fully ease the ache he felt at his own actions, but the way Makoto was entirely apologetic and the kindness he could sense at least eased a bit of that growing jealousy. Haruka refused to let it take over, he wouldn’t let something like his selfish desires ruin their friendship.

Turning back to the phone, Makoto gave the news to Kisumi. “Hey, Haru said it’s fine. Wait there and I’ll pick you up.” Yeah, Haruka wouldn’t do anything in the world to ruin this friendship.

“I love you, Kisumi, see you soon.” 

Haruka gripped the camera he held in his hand tighter and watched Makoto leave with a wave back towards him. Once he was gone though, Haruka sat on the bottom step, hanging his head until the next thing he new the sun had set and the last glimmer of light was barely visible in the shop. 

Like he was in a trance, he carefully set the camera on the counter and stepped out towards the back of the shop where the porch was and the moon hung bright in the sky. A full moon faced him with a cold light as a warm breeze fluttered past, ushering him out of the shop. 

His decision made for him, Haruka shut the door behind him and ran, down the streets and path towards the shoreline, huffing along the way. The city gleamed with lights from windows and the nearby bridge across the bay, but it was cold. Chilly, even on a warm night such as this, and Haruka had somewhere to be. He didn’t know where, but somewhere other than the shop he called home.

When he stopped to view the cliffside and low moonlight calling the tide in, Haruka lost his breath at the sight. He was on a small road that no cars liked to take, and the railing looked thin and was losing all hints of color, or was that the light of such a full moon?

As the breeze picked up again and the clouds came to life, Haruka realized Makoto was right. The view of the ocean looked spectacular.

Like it always had, right?

The stars even twinkled with a familiar light in them and slowly, the stinging behind his eyes grew.

 

_ It’s fine. _

 

Wiping at his eyes, he was surprised to find a touch of wetness there. No, Haruka wasn’t one to cry, there’s no way that could be what this was. Maybe it was raining?

 

_ It’s... _

 

The clouds weren’t even overhead though, and there was no way it could be raining.

 

_ … fine… _

 

The first drop cascaded down his cheek, and he couldn’t hold it back. Not anymore. He couldn’t keep telling himself it was okay. He couldn’t keep lying to himself this way. 

Then, as soft as it was, a melody reached his ears and he paused. There was no way he could be hallucinating, could he? The more he listened, the more it sounded like the ocean itself was singing, the words lost in the rippling tide.

“Who’s there?” He demanded, unsure if this was the doing of a person or if it was a figment of his imagination.

_ Have you turned to the rippling tides _

Now he was sure it was coming from the water, but what was he hearing? It seemed too real. Leaning on the railing, he peered down into the rocky depths below as the melody continued. 

_ To engulf your lonely tears? _

The more the melody went on, the more he calmed, and a small glow lit in his eyes, though anyone passing by would have considered it a reflection of the moonlight off the water.

_ SNAP! _ The railing broke, and Haruka fell down, curling up and plunging into the depths below.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The only soul to see was watching from the water as the boy with the blue eyes fell, the sound of the splash music to his ears. 


	4. 3 - Something Special

After the initial dunk into the water, it was as if time stood still. But that couldn’t have happened, because even the impact knocked the breath out of his lungs. Perhaps that was a good thing, for it meant he didn’t breathe in water on instinct, but he also couldn’t move and found himself tangled in bubbles instead.

Every effort he made to reach for the surface or to kick himself up, all of it just reminded him of everything in his life. He was always reaching for something unattainable - and yet, never truly fighting for it. There was always something that stopped him, and he realized he took the easy way out with the first excuse that came along. It was disheartening.

Soon the bubbles grew blurrier, and reminded him of the white carnations on the back counter of the shop, something he knew he hadn’t stocked since middle school due to what they’d meant.   
  
  


_ “Haru-chan!” Curious blue eyes focused on the speaker, the blonde that had come to be close friends with him despite his obvious reluctance. Nagisa was a ball of excitement, holding some stick thing with a funny-looking net at the end. _

_ “Guess who made the Lacrosse team!” He shouted, smiling brightly as he bounded up to Haruka and poked him with a stick, only to receive a glare from him instead of whatever he was expecting. Haruka wasn’t sure what to say, but the only word that fit was… _

_ “Congratulations.” This made the blonde’s eyes widen in shock, and Haruka wondered if he said the wrong thing until the smile grew even brighter. It was clearly from ear to ear at this point, and Haruka didn’t even know that was possible on a human being. Apparently Nagisa made the impossible possible. _

_ “That’s what best friends are supposed to say!” This time, the smile settled into a pouting frown (yet another feat Haruka didn’t think possible), and Nagisa leaned in. “Thanks, Haru-chan, but… practices are held right after school so I won’t be able to walk home with you anymore.” _

_ “There will be time for homework after your practices,” he conceded, wondering if this was what the blonde was getting at. If it wasn’t, Nagisa would have to explain himself. Haruka wasn’t a mind reader. _

_ “Promise?!?” It seemed to be correct though, since Nagisa immediately brightened right back up and Haruka seriously wondered if he would ever receive emotional whiplash.  _

_ “Promise.”  _

_ “That’s great, ‘cause I’m totally close to failing Japanese Lit right now…”  _

_ Haruka merely glared in irritation. Japanese literature was one of his strengths, but it was definitely Nagisa’s weakness considering he liked new and exciting things, and literature did not provide him with any of those options, especially ones where he could move about. _

_ “Hey guys, ready to go?” A calm voice roused Haruka from his glare, and his eyes widened as they looked over to settle on the lanky brunette approaching them from the entrance of the school. _

_ “Makoto,” Haruka stated, unable to keep himself from at least blurting out the obvious at just who was coming along. _

_ “Nagisa, did you forget your bag again? You should really learn to keep it by the door so as not to leave it behind…” Pulling up his bike, Makoto panted a little, clearly trying to catch his breath. Why he hurried, Haruka didn’t quite know, but the effort was appreciated _

_ “Hey! For your information, I just made the Lacrosse team!” Nagisa huffed and pouted, sticking the stick in Makoto’s face. Surely that was more than necessary, as even Haruka had to take a step back so as to not get hit. _

_ “Seriously? Congrats! Keep it up and you might be good enough for the high school team.” Sticking his tongue out, Nagisa blew a raspberry.  _

_ “I am good enough!” Haruka looked over at Makoto, knowing he didn’t mean it that way, and really did mean it as more of a congratulations, but Nagisa wouldn’t give him the benefit of the doubt here, he supposed. “Don’t look down on us just ‘cause we’re middle schoolers, Mako-chan!” _

_ Now there was the difference. Makoto was a year older than Nagisa and Haruka, attending the high school down the street rather than the middle school that they had all attended the previous year. _

_ “Anyways, I have practice after school from now on, so you don’t have to walk me home anymore!” His hands on his hips, it really seemed like Nagisa was making a statement he also needed to convince himself of, but regardless Makoto responded as he always would have. _

_ “Oh, is that so… Well, what about Haru?” Now that was curious, Haruka thought, glancing up at the taller brunette. Why would Makoto- _

_ “Who’s going to walk him home?” Oh no… no no no. If he was to be alone with Makoto, Haruka was sure he wouldn’t be able to keep his cool. _

_ “I’m fine on my own,” he explained, hopefully Makoto wouldn’t argue. Please, please don’t let Makoto argue. _

_ Sneaking a glance over, Haruka glimpsed a raised elbow as he tugged the hair behind his ear, a small habit he’d had for a while now, and Haruka found it way too cute. _

_ “... but then I won’t have anyone to walk with,” he confessed. Wonderful, now Haruka absolutely had no choice. _

_ “Oh… I guess.” _

_ “What?” Bright green eyes invaded his vision and Haruka turned away, unable to look directly into them. _

_ “I guess… I could walk with you.” _

_ “Oh, that’s a relief!” Haruka really wished he wouldn’t look at him with those eyes, they would melt ice faster than you could take it out of the freezer. _

_ But it was only previous to that day that Haruka had never spent time with Makoto without Nagisa around. And really, after a while he realized the big softie only felt obligated to look after his “little brother’s best friend”. But like any friendship or relationship, everything started off with a tiny little sprout - or so Haruka’s grandmother always told him. _

_ “If you neglect or smother it, it will eventually wither.” _

_ The days had passed, and each one grew more colorful than the last. Each one held more laughter, more fun. More opportunities to see a better side of each other, and get to know each other more. _

_ “But when nurtured and cared for properly…” _

_ Eventually they were riding Makoto’s bike to and from school together, speeding so fast they’d fallen into the lake numerous times. That was how they started going to the lake between the two of them, Haruka loving the feeling of calm it brought him after an adventure with Makoto. _

_ “... it will bloom into something special.” _

_ And just like that, Haruka had slowly fallen for his best friend’s older brother. _

_ “What’s that book?” With small question, Makoto turned to smile down at Haruka, pulling the book he was carrying in his grasp that he’d picked up from the library earlier that day. _

_ “Oh, this? It’s called ‘The Odyssey’. Apparently it was written forever ago.” Seeing Haruka’s bored eyes made him chuckle, but he continued. “I had to read it for an assignment, but it was more interesting than I thought.”  _

_ “What’s it about, exactly?” Haruka asked, curious as to what literature could have Makoto interested. He wasn’t known to like literature previously… was he? _

_ “A tale of great suffering.” The answer struck Haruka oddly, and he paused, looking up at the brunette even more curiously.  _

_ “Sounds lugubrious.” _

_ “Where’d you learn a word like that?” Makoto chuckled a little more nervously this time. “But it’s an amazing story, actually. A hero, lost at sea, facing adversity, temptation, and sacrifice - all for the sake of returning home to his wife.”  _

_ Makoto took a couple steps forward to keep them on their way home, and Haruka glanced down, a stray thought wishing he would have taken his hand to do so. _

_ “The best part of it all is that he never loses sight of who he is.”  _

_ Haruka nodded, taking out a small notebook and pencil to jot down the title before he forgot. If this was a book that interested Makoto, he wanted to read it too. _

_ “So organized! Do you put everything on a checklist?” Haruka nodded. _

_ “It helps me from forgetting. My grandmother says it drives her crazy, since they’re everywhere.” Haruka started writing, as Makoto leaned over to glance down at his writing. _

_ “Hey, Haru… can I make a confession?” Pausing in his writing, Haruka didn’t dare look up, but somehow he knew Makoto knew he was listening. “You see, I actually… really envy you.” _

_ Now that made Haruka’s eyes grow wide with surprise. Makoto… envied him? Him? _

_ “You’re really mature for your age, you know? I’m older than you, and yet you probably have a better rein on life than I do.”  _

_ He started fidgeting with his shoulder again, at the back of his neck like Haruka had realized he’d come to do when he was nervous.  _

_ “My mom puts a lot of responsibility on me since I’m the oldest, especially since dad is hardly around either. I’m…” He glanced down, those green eyes sparkling with something Haruka couldn’t quite read in them. Maybe that was this… envy? “I’m going to have a little sister soon. Mom’s due in about a month from now, so she’ll really need my help around the house.”  _

_ Haruka watched has his gaze turned even further down, towards the sidewalk they were currently sharing. _

_ “Though, sometimes I wish I had more freedom to do what I want. Like how Nagisa has Lacrosse, I guess. I never really had the chance to indulge in those kinds of things for myself.” This time he chuckled to play it off, but Haruka knew better. “But then again, maybe I’m just being immature. I wish I could approach things in a mature way like you always seem to.” Turning once more to Haruka he sighed. “Aah, I’m rambling. I probably sound really stupid.” _

_ “You’re not.” _

_ “Hmm?” His turn for surprise, Haruka looked down at the leaves on the ground as he found the right words to say, feeling Makoto’s curious eyes on him. _

_ “That’s how you feel, it’s not stupid.” Gathering up his courage, he took a deep breath. “My grandmother is all I have, and I’ve never been responsible for anyone but myself. You chose to sacrifice your time for your family and those you care about.” Glancing down at his notes, Haruka saw the word “hero” and decided to continue, even if it sounded a little stupid to his own ears. “You’re the hero of more than just your story.” A small glance up with a heat rising in his cheeks, and Haruka let slip his last thought in a whisper. “Including mine.” _

_ A small giggle turning into full blown laughter, and Makoto nearly doubled over. “That’s so you, Haru-chan.” Ruffling his hair, Makoto induced a full out flush on his face, and he hoped it would go unnoticed. “You always know just what to say. Thanks.” _

_ Haruka realized it was somewhere around that time… that a small crush had blossomed into a full blown love. But despite what Makoto had said that day, Haruka remembered doing something very childish that day. _

_ When he passed through the shop on his way home and spotted a single flower that had strayed from it’s batch and was left to wilt on the floor, Haruka picked it up and started plucking the petals off one by one.  _

__ He loves me…  
__ He loves me not.  
_ He loves me…   
_ __ He loves me not.

_ Right down to the last one in which he’d whispered, “He loves me.” _

_ But what Haruka didn’t realize, was that he was so caught up in daydreaming he’d destroyed something that never should have been tampered with. Something that was fine as it was… something pure and special. _

_ Next thing he knew, he was watching a pleasant vision of Makoto cupping his face and pulling it close. He was so close he could almost feel the breath on his lips. Any further in, and it was no question what Makoto was about to do as their heads tilted- _

 

_ Little did he know that those silly childish fantasies of his would eventually lead him… _   
  


Soft warmth hit, a small spark and a lingering want to continue woke Haruka from his dream, a blurry outline of someone in front of him. Of strong arms holding him, and easing away the numbed pain he had.

The face of a man with bright red hair and iridescent red eyes piercing right into his. Surrounded by bubbles, Haruka’s vision darkened. _ To the end of everything he thought he knew. _


	5. 4 - Encounter

_ Those eyes… _

_ All Haruka could see was a few strands of red framing a pair of even brighter red irises, something that should have been lit full of fire but was cold, dark, and glassed over with something else he couldn’t quite name. _

_ It was as if they could see right through him. _

_ Closer, they drew, the figure’s mouth parting slightly but all Haruka could focus on were those eyes. Those dark, empty, glazed over depths that held… sadness. That’s what that was, Haruka realized, as he now felt that same emotion as well.  _

_ But somehow, the longer Haruka stared deeply into those eyes, the more he felt like he could resonate with them. As if their pain was one and the same.  _

  


  


The moon rose high into the sky, lighting up the clouds with a silver lining on a backdrop of specks of twinkling light in a dark navy sky. The light of such a full moon shone in the foam as gentle waves washed upon the shore, slowly rousing Haruka back into consciousness.

It took a few laps of the water for him to stir, slowly cracking his eyes open and blinking once, twice, and a few more times before he could believe what he was seeing. He ran his hands across the cool sand under his fingers, sitting up more solidly to get a better sense of where he was, and how he got there. The last thing he remembered was falling from the cliff after the railing broke, so he must have washed up onto the small beach cove he was currently in. 

To his left was a cliffside much too steep to climb, and the water had hollowed out pillars in the rock. If he wasn’t sitting here with no idea how he even survived, he would have wanted to keep a picture of the beautiful scene. 

Instead he quickly checked himself for injury, and was surprised to find nothing broken, nothing sore, no bruises, no scrapes, and no cuts. Only some kind of miracle would allow a fall from a steep cliff into a rocky coastline and wash him up on shore unscathed, and Haruka wondered if he should thank the water for this miracle. Of course he would.

In any case though, he needed to return home somehow, and needed to find a way back up the cliffside. Glancing about to more rocky outcroppings along the coastline, Haruka spotted a figure along the sand, another victim of the waves perhaps?

He quickly called over, seeing that the person lying on their back, one knee cocked in the air, and not moving at all. He was also very, very clearly naked. And toned, and… well endowed.

“Oi…” he called, hoping to hear an answer back, but no such luck. “Oi, wake up…” he continued, growing more worried by the second. Since the figure didn’t move, he cursed his luck and drew closer, hoping the guy wasn’t dead. Once he realized the guy was very toned, tanned, and handsome, Haruka gritted his teeth and tried not to look at how exposed he was. 

As if his crush on Makoto didn’t give it away, Haruka was completely and utterly gay, and here was a naked young man right before him. Needless to say, Haruka didn’t remain completely unaffected, as much as he would show it. But because the man could need urgent attention in case he was hurt, Haruka needed to do something, and he would- as soon as he could cover the guy up.

Gulping down a twinge of his nerves, he dug his hands into the sand around him and lifted a chunk, stepping and tossing it towards the figure, watching it flutter and sprinkle onto him. Seeing as how that didn’t work, he drew his brows together and frowned, his frustration increasing. Turning around, he started kicking sand onto the body like a cat in a litter box.

That didn’t seem to work either, for when he turned around to view the progress he’d made in spraying the figure with sand, there it was, glaring right at him in it’s full naked genital glory. Sighing, he looked at the tracks he’d made, and when it reminded him of a crime scene and trying to bury the body, he squatted down to the level of the sand, looking out over the water with a questioning gaze, seeking the answers from a body of water that had helped him once before.

Finding a small chill with the breeze that picked up, he tugged his jacket closer to himself, then realized that’s exactly what he’d needed. Carefully slipping out of it despite the small chill in the air that came with being thoroughly soaked in the dead of night, Haruka twisted to place the jacket over the form of the figure near him and took a deep breath. Knowing he needed to check the other’s pulse, he scooted closer only to pause when he caught a glimpse of the young man’s face.

That breath didn’t help, for it caught in his throat at the sight of bright red hair, bangs nearly plastered to his face, framing eyes Haru would recognize anywhere, even if they were closed. That wasn’t what stole his breath however, it was the wetness underneath the man’s eyes.

For a moment, he almost mistook the droplets of seawater under those long dark lashes for tears.

  
  
  


Next thing he knew, the guy was coughing and turning away from him, spitting up small bits of water and breathing in deeply. Haruka sighed in relief, at least he wouldn’t be responsible for calling in a dead body.

“Ah, good.” He mumbled, watching the guy sit up and look about, all sharp moves and staring right at his own legs in front of him, though Haruka wondered if it was really his legs that had caught his attention, or if it was something else. After a few seconds he seemed to relax, and he continued, scooting closer to the guy to examine him for any injuries. “I don’t see any injuries…” he mumbled softly, and red eyes turned to focus on him.

They were startlingly sharp as well, everything about the guy seemed sharp, but as they focused on his own legs, they seemed to soften a little bit more, drawing together in what seemed to be curiosity now. Lifting the jacket on him, Haruka coughed and turned away, embarrassed for him.

“Don’t take that off!” He argued, seeing the guy ignore him only to lift a leg and stare at it fascinated. Did he not know what legs were or how they worked? Because the more he watched how the way his legs, feet, and toes moved when he commanded them, the brighter the smile he wore became. 

The guy finally turned to face Haruka who had been watching him just as curiously as he’d been exploring his own limbs. Time seemed to stop for a moment, for surely there was nothing that could have drawn Haruka’s eyes away from the shine of bright red curious ones, and he felt a tingle crawl along his spine. Something electric that made his heart beat faster, and he couldn’t move. There was something about him, something about the allure of the red bangs framing his face with matching eyes that just overwhelmed Haruka, and as they widened, somewhere in the back of his mind Haruka wondered if the guy expected to see him there. 

Then a hand came up and ran through his bangs, pushing them out of his eyes temporarily as his head leaned back and he grinned. Beyond that set of sharp shark-like teeth was true joy and happiness, and Haruka wondered if he was intruding on a moment here. But if this guy was sharing it with him…

They sat there a little longer, just gathering what they could from each other’s eyes, the guy apparently as fascinated with Haruka’s as Haruka was with his. At least, until he eyed down further, and saw the sand underneath Haruka’s knees. Or was it something else?

Haruka wondered just what he was looking at, until he reached out and grabbed at his thigh, making Haruka turn pink and glare, slapping his hand away. “Why would you grab at me like that?” He quickly rose from the sand, brushing himself off and away from the guy. Did he pick up someone troublesome? Surely there couldn’t be anyone more troublesome than a guy that didn’t know where, who, or what he was, like the feeling this guy gave off.

“W-wait!” He called, and Haruka wondered just how a smooth voice like that could come out of someone so  _ sharp _ and rough. “You didn’t feel anything?” He asked, slowly picking himself up to sit up, resting on his elbow like a lazy king and for some reason that annoyed Haruka

“What?”

“You got sand in your ears? Don’t give me that!” Frowning, his teeth suddenly looked sharper and he was clearly losing his cool with the way he narrowed his eyes to stare openly at Haruka. “And your… no, it can’t be! Something isn’t right here…” Clicking his tongue, he pushed himself up off the sand to get a better look at Haruka. Or at least, his legs.

When he pulled back with wide eyes and a fearful look in his face, all trace of Haruka’s annoyance left to make way for worry, despite the fact he barely knew the guy. 

“It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this…” he murmured, half to himself, staring at his own fingers. There was definitely something wrong with the guy here, and Haruka was sure he was going crazy, unless...  how troublesome.

“You’re mistaking me for someone else,” he stated, frowning at the idea of leaving him alone even with how much a pain he knew the guy would be. He could feel it in the back of his mind, but there was still something that didn’t want him to go. Ignoring the feeling, Haruka backed away from the guy still sitting on the beach in the nude as he ordered the guy to stay while he found help. “Stay.” 

He no sooner turned around than the guy yelled after him, “Wait! Where the hell do you think you’re going?!?” 

A small turn of his head and an angry glare later, Haruka’s eye twitched. “You can’t even stand, I’m going to bring help. Now sit back down!” The guy was not going to give up without a fight however, and reached out only to fall over to yet another twitch in Haruka’s eye. He definitely had a fine ass too. Damn it.

“That’s not the problem here! You don’t understand at all!” The yell came out with a hint of desperation, but as Haruka wasn’t one to listen to that, he quickly turned to the side and clicked his tongue in his own way. “Uggh, forget it. It’s no use… it’s hopeless.”

Now that just annoyed Haruka more, if the guy was giving up so soon. Continuing on his way towards the nearby outcropping that he’d seen the beach of the town on the other side of earlier, Haruka stepped carefully, despite the way everything about the guy made his head spin. He had to have been delusional. Crazy was definitely a given, what with the way he’d been staring at his own legs, then at Haruka’s for so long. But then to say things weren’t supposed to have happened? Well sure he wasn’t supposed to have fallen into the sea in the first place, but the fact they both lived was a miracle. Even Haruka knew of the dangers of the ocean at night, and for not only him but this guy to survive-

  


Wait. 

  


The guy didn’t fall with him, in fact, Haruka had never seen him before he woke up on that beach. Perhaps he was just as lost: just as clueless as Haruka was.

With a glance at the guy from where he was on the rock, Haruka noted the somber form melting into the shadows, and even the frustration he had earlier was gone in a wave of hopelessness. There was just no way Haruka could let him be, was there?

Clicking his own tongue, he took a few steps back towards the guy when a piece of rock broke under his weight, and he slipped, falling backwards. The only thing behind him was the tide, as dangerous as it was around the outcroppings that enclosed this part of the beach. 

At the sound of rocks falling and the squeak Haruka was sure didn’t come out of his mouth, the gaze of the guy with red hair and bright red eyes snapped over, assessed the situation almost immediately and jumped into action, staggering into a blind sprint towards Haruka.

_ Sploosh!! _ The sound of bubbles masked anything Haruka could have heard, and for the second time that night he found the water didn’t help him at all, the shock of falling directly on his back knocking the wind out of him and leaving him to the water’s mercy. Surely it wouldn’t let him get lucky a second time.

He didn’t hear the second splash of another body coming towards him, legs kicking and arms pushing through the dark waters, but he hoped and held out a hand. What he was hoping for, he didn’t know, because Makoto sure as hell wouldn’t save him here.

When he opened his eyes this time though, he nearly choked. Instead of his legs, a long, dark blue tail covered in hundreds of shiny scales caught his eye and he forgot how to breathe. No, make that two tails, he noted, seeing the guy that was on the beach earlier swim up to him with a tail of his own, though Haruka’s jacket was still tied around his waist. 

Surely, he was dreaming. That was the only explanation at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY IT'S LATE! I was at a con and (took lots of Haru photos) but didn't realize my hotel didn't have internet and I couldn't post until now.
> 
> (Some photos to go on Tumblr soon as I can touch them up...)


	6. 05: A Blessing and a Curse

_ Something didn’t feel right. _

Eyes sealed shut while bubbles cascaded upwards about him, Haruka focused on the feeling of the water, wondering just what was so different this time. Just what could it be about sinking for the second time that had changed from when he fell off the cliff? Was it the number of bubbles rushing past him? Was it the feeling of sinking further and further into the depths? 

No,  _ he couldn’t move _ .

With a jerk Haruka opened his eyes, and the sight in front of him kept him frozen in wonder. Instead of the all too pale legs he had for someone that tended to spend a lot of time at the beach, there was what looked like a fish tail of pure blue scales, sparkling under the last of the moonlight that reached under the surface of the water. It was slightly larger and longer than his legs would be, and trailed after him. 

Just when he wondered if he could control it, it twitched until a force nearly slammed into his side. His eyes shut out of reflex, and Haruka could focus just well enough to feel the warmth and effort to move coming from whatever had run into him. It was big, muscled, and hard, and suddenly they were moving fast back up towards the surface.

A bit more effort, and soon the two burst through the surface, since the one that had crashed into him could be none other than the man that was on the shore with him. Haruka was too shocked to do much until they returned to shallow water, and crawled up on the sand as the tails disappeared to become legs once more. 

Haruka coughed, looking down at his legs in wonder as they lost all traces of blue, scales, or shine, and became the pale things he was used to covering with a swimsuit. Why hadn’t he worn his swimsuit today?

A cry jarred him out of his amazement, as a fist slammed down into the sand. The owner of said fist was leaning over the sand, yelling and Haruka couldn’t quite tell if it was at him, or just in general. 

“Damnit! I  _ knew _ something went wrong!” Gritting his teeth, the red haired man hissed, and Haruka noticed just how sharp they looked. With everything else, there was still something about this man that intrigued him yet, there was still something that didn’t sit right him. Something with this man was very strange.

“Why the hell didn’t it work-” he paused, looking up towards Haruka, who was clenching his fist by his side and quickly coming to the conclusion that this man was dangerous. Very, very dangerous. 

“What did you do to me?” He blurted out, tightening his jaw and glaring daggers into the mostly naked man. Apparently he’d tied Haruka’s jacket around his waist and was using that to hide himself.

Haruka stepped forward once more, ready to punch if need be, or even to defend himself, but he wanted answers, and he was going to get them.

The man frowned, stepping forward to grab Haruka’s shirt before he caught sight of the fist and stopped dead in his tracks, putting his hands up in surrender. As Haruka took another step forward, he stepped back and conceded, “Woah, we can talk about this instead, put down the fist, alright sweetheart?”

Haruka’s eye twitched, but he didn’t release his fist.  _ Sweetheart? _ No one called him that. “Don’t call me that.”

The redhead visibly balked at the lack of reaction. The monotone voice, the very subtle eye twitch, and the fist that hadn’t moved or eased. His face fell and he frowned, showing more power and pride in himself, especially since Haruka had challenged him.

“Okay, fishbait. Just put the fist down. Hear me out.” 

The guy was starting to bare his teeth, but for some reason Haruka didn’t find them as threatening as they’d first looked. He hadn’t moved, but since the guy wasn’t moving first and had agreed to talk, the least Haruka could do was listen. That was what he’d asked for.

Easing onto the sand and unclenching his fist, Haruka waited until the shark boy (for that was what he was dubbing him in his mind since those teeth reminded him clearly of a shark) sat as well, thankfully not cross-legged even with Haruka’s jacket. Why did he have to be so attractive?

“What did you do to me?” he asked, very aware that this guy knew much more than he was letting on. “Are you a mermaid?” The idea intrigued him, for mermaids were creatures of legend that had the freedom and ability to roam the sea. Haruka didn’t realize just how much he’d longed for that until now that he possibly… could?

Shark boy scoffed and pouted, crossing his arms and turning his own head with a loud  _ tch! _ “First of all, we’re  _ sirens _ , not  _ mermaids.  _ Haruka had apparently struck a chord since the remark was with twice as much spite as any of his previous statements, though there weren’t many. It was interesting to watch him, that was certain. 

It wasn’t long before the guy ran a hand through his hair and sighed, looking back up at Haruka with a grimace. “Second, I don’t get why you’re trying to play the victim here. After all,” he started and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a knowing smirk. “You’re the one who made the agreement with me in the first place.”

It took a moment for that to register, as Haruka didn’t remember making any agreement at all. “I didn’t agree to anything,” he countered with a deepening frown. What could this guy be going on about?

Noticing the confusion lining the corners of Haruka’s face, shark boy’s grin started falling as he realized the incredible truth. “You… really don’t remember, do you?” The question came out a bit softer, but that didn’t deter Haruka from defending himself against him and whatever he was trying to say. 

“Remember what? Mermaids, sirens, whatever you call them aren’t…” he trailed off, unable to finish since deep down, Haruka really did wish for them to be real. Turning his head, he continued in a darker, but softer tone that didn’t exactly match the ice in his eyes. “It’s not possible.”

The redhead only stared, watching the shifting blue eyes with an intensity that made him squirm inside. Hopefully he didn’t see the twitch in his jaw, or the subtle way in which Haruka swallowed when he blinked, or the tiny sigh when he started speaking again, turning to the rocks nearby, and gazing out over the dark waters lapping at the sand near them.

“I guess it’s only natural for you to think that way.” His voice was no longer accusing, and had taken on a deeper, quieter tone that struck a chord within Haruka and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why. “The truth is, sirens were all once originally human.” No longer could Haruka see his eyes, for they were gazing out so far they were lost within the rippling waves. There was a sense of loneliness that grew around them now, and he couldn’t suppress a shiver.

“You see,” he started, “we are given a blessing… and a curse.” The sound of a wave crashed nearby, showering the two in spray that felt like the tears that wouldn’t come at this moment. 

  


“ _ Everything begins with the end of a human life,” _

As the water drew Haruka’s eyes, the voice smoothed out to an ebb and flow that matched the tide drawing in. Sprawling along the sand was foam from the waves, leaving behind illustrations illuminating the tale shark boy was spinning. 

_ “When a heartbroken human is on the brink of drowning,” _

The voice lulled Haruka into a trance as seafoam rippled, a jellyfish plopping up to the surface before the rest of the tide swallowed it whole.

_ “A siren may offer a proposal.” _

The water flowed out, and bubbles in the sand popped, leaving an image of a woman with long flowing hair and a tail in place of legs. As the tide came back up, the foam formed ringlets around her head, and created yet another figure that was left in the bubbling sand.

“ _ A second chance at life…” _

Haruka could see the outline of a body, a small bent twig for an arm, and strings of kelp for legs. Right in the middle of his chest where his heart ought to be was a growing hole, as more bubbles popped clear of sand.

“ _ Under two conditions.” _

Another wave that merely added more foam to the scene, spraying bubbles about both figures.

“ _ The human must give up the memories of their previous life,”  _

The foam popped and fizzled, blurring the outline of the human figure in the sand.

“ _... and become a siren; an afflicted vagabond of the sea.” _

Another wave rose and washed the foam, rearranging the figures so the seaweed human had long flowing bubbly hair and the half-fish was more plain.

_ “Essentially an exchange is made:” _

The twig arm of the now half- fish was reaching out for something he didn’t realize he’d lost, finally curling into the foam to be swept away with the rest of the tide as it drew back.

“ _ A siren becomes a human and a human becomes a siren.” _

Another wave washed the seaweed human back out, and Haruka’s eyes wandered up towards the speaker’s own crimson ones as the trance started falling away.

  


“It’s a relentless cycle.” The voice was laden with thick, heavy sadness and Haruka wasn’t sure if he heard a twinge of regret in there. In either case, it was soothing and beautiful, and he was sure he hadn’t heard anything as nice, even Makoto’s. 

That thought made him blink and with it fell away all traces of haziness the ocean tides had lulled him into.

“Or at least, it has been… up until now.” Any movement Haruka wanted to made was arrested, as he was frozen and taken in by some mysterious power in this guy’s eyes. They really were deep and piercing, and he felt like they were seeing right into the very depths of his soul. No one was allowed there.

“I wasn’t heartbroken,” he countered, swallowing thickly as he cooly broke the gaze of the other, not wanting to be taken in yet again. “I still have my memories too. How do I know you’re telling the truth?” 

“Honestly,” the redhead sighed, and laced yet another hand through his hair only to shake it out and tilt his head back, attempting to look down on Haruka who was really only an inch or two shorter than him. “I’m just as lost as you are. If you’re not going to take my word for it, how else would you explain this?”

Haruka watched as he gestured around, to the cliffs, to his waist and Haruka’s jacket there, and to Haruka himself who he’d just dragged out of the ocean after they’d both had… tails.

“... I didn’t agree to any of this,” Haruka insisted, and while he wouldn’t mind being free in the ocean, he really did not want to lose his memories. Not when they were all he really had of Makoto and their happy friendship together. Then there was Nagisa. Haruka really couldn’t leave him alone, there was no telling what the blonde would do without Haruka around to bother. 

The other only laughed dryly, as if he really found only irony in the statement. Perhaps it was a type of irony because he wished he could have done so himself.

“You have to take back the deal.” He was solemn now, and determined to keep his life the way he’d always known it. There was one thing about the freedom that the ocean could offer, but if it meant giving up everything - Nagisa, Makoto, his grandmother’s flower shop after he’d promised to take care of it for her, no Haruka couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t.

A huff came out of shark boy as he turned around to face Haruka once more. “No can do, fish bait. The deal was sealed when we kissed.”

The word hit Haruka like a brick as his eyes widened for a split second while he processed this new information.  _ Kissed _ ? He… they… kissed?

After a moment and another crash of a wave against the rocky part of the shoreline, images came back to him. Blue surroundings, bubbles floating past, and the memory of a soft warmth on his lips. Drawing one hand up to his lips now he flushed pink in the cheeks, and turned away trying to process that it’d actually happened. That it wasn’t Makoto in his dreams, but… shark boy. In the water. And he’d kissed him.

An amused chuckle came with a toothy grin that made red eyes twinkle even in the starlit sky. “Oh, sorry. Were you reserving that for Prince Charming?”

Haruka frowned deeply and narrowed his eyes at the cheeky piece of-

But perhaps he was. Perhaps he really was saving his first kiss for someone that wouldn’t take it. No, this wasn’t the time to think about Makoto, not when their lives, or at least Haruka’s, was on the line here. 

“You have to take it back. I have a life I want to live.” Standing straight and locking eyes once more, Haruka faced this shark boy and stated his case, though as always the other seemed to surprise him.

“You think I don’t?” Shock radiated through Haruka again, this time just a flash of frozen time kept him in place, listening intently. The depth of his eyes bore into Haruka’s, as neither said a word at that point, and it wasn’t necessary. It was a stalemate of sorts, and neither would back down. 

As the wind blew it brought a chill with it that Haruka could clearly feel, and he realized they were both nearly naked on the beach in the middle of the night. With a sigh he relented,nd closed his eyes, turning away so perhaps shark boy wouldn’t continue staring at him.

“You’re cold,” he observed, seeing the goosebumps line the other’s skin and if Haruka was feeling it, certainly this guy was as well.

“I’m going home, and you’re coming with me.” Haruka gave the order without really thinking, but it was the only sane thing to do. He needed rest, and he wanted his bathtub, and after a day and a night of Makoto making plans then rushing to the aid of his boyfriend, Haruka was getting a headache trying to understand all of this. 

Haruka turned back to face shark boy, and finally looked at him straight on, surprising even himself with his honesty. Maybe it was the ocean around him… and if he was telling the truth, now in him.

“I don’t believe this is real. However I am certain that I need strength. And you need something too. So long as you behave, you can stay at my house.” This time he stepped closer, offering his hand to the guy still sitting on the beach in nothing but his jacket. 

The one that had the gall to smirk at him and ask, “And if I don’t behave?” with a raised brow.

Haruka narrowed his eyes and picked up a rock that was twice as big as his fist, and the redhead quickly stood up, putting his hands up to defend himself.

“Okay, okay! I get it! It was a joke, lighten up….” Sighing, he stretched, and hurriedly caught the jacket that was now falling off his hips, wobbling enough to make Haruka question how alright he was. 

After seeing he could stand on his own, he let out a small breath of relief, though what was he expecting honestly, a mer-  _ siren _ who couldn’t walk?

“Haruka,” he started, then blinked and turned. “Call me Haru.” Shark boy nodded, but didn’t offer his own, and Haruka frowned. “And yours?”

“I can’t say.” Haruka blinked, not sure what to make of that before he continued. “Forgetting your identity is part of the curse, but sirens can adopt a name to their liking.” Now that explanation made things incredibly convenient. “I just haven’t found a name worthy of my awesomeness is all,” he huffed haughtily, more pride and narcissism showing through than what Haruka had initially judged in this guy. He was just full of surprises, wasn’t he?

  


“Rin.”

  


At the name, he turned, looking blankly at Haruka who had spoken it. 

“You’re now Rin.” It was quick, simple, and a name that Haruka could remember, especially as how it was just as feminine as his own. If names could make one suffer, then this guy needed to suffer the same fate that the rest of everyone in Haruka’s life currently had: a girly name.

“Hey, you can’t just decide my name for me!” he exclaimed, slightly horrified that this blue-eyed boy had come up with something easily.

“It’s a very traditional yet popular name,” he reasoned, hoping shark boy wouldn’t think too much about it. 

After a few moments of intense thinking on his part, he nodded with a proud grin he just couldn’t seem to hold back on his face. “I guess it will do for now.”

Haruka marveled at how this guy was so gullible, but found it adorable anyways. 

  
What he didn’t know, he mused, was that “Rin” was actually the name of Haruka’s former pet goldfish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so behind in writing... i may need next week as well, but hopefully I can get the next chapter out! (Kinda distracted with other projects at the moment)
> 
> Also, I had a hard time trying to place a picture scene in written word when someone is telling the story but the comic shows visuals.. let me know if it came out well, and understandable!


	7. 06 - A Change in the Tides

Dawn broke through the clouds in vast spreading rays of sunshine, gleaming out over the hills before they made it to the water. The clouds shone with streaks of pink, purple, red, and orange, and hazy shades of in between as the reflections glistened off the receding tide.

Within the walls of the upstairs apartment above a certain flower shop and snuggled under the covers lay the sleepy lump of Haruka Nanase. He tossed and turned a couple times before blinking awake and starting to get his bearings. He wasn’t the earliest of morning people, and it took him a while for his brain to get up to speed.

After a few minutes of blinking at the strange object on his nightstand, his eyes widened in shock and wonder as he recognized what it was. A stick he’d contemplated using to threaten the man the night before, along with a small note. It was great trouble to scoot across the bed, slowly stand, and pick it up to read, but he did so anyways because who in their right mind would leave a stick with a note?

As he read the words on the page though, he frowned. How could this little note hold such… knowledge but contempt? How could it be the answer to everything he was thinking at the moment? Everything he was starting to wonder about? Had the previous night been a dream? With sweeping tides, nearly drowning twice, and a man that changed into a fish? Had Haruka changed into a fish? Was it all real?

The author of the note knew just what to say though, and with the driftwood stick as proof who was Haruka to deny that it had? It had to have been a dream. It couldn’t be real. Haruka, a siren? That really really good looking man, a siren that had called to Haruka? No, there was no way that everything was real. Even if the note in his hand said otherwise.

 

_ [It really happened.] _ .

  
  


 

Sunlight filtered through the shop windows bold and strong, and with it came the crinkling sounds of a plastic bag. A small tinkle of the door opening, and Makoto came striding into the flower shop: plastic bag in hand, another behind his back, and a small gentle smile on his face. He was here to see Haruka and hopefully make up for last night when he’d run out on the guy for his boyfriend. Makoto knew very well that Haruka was too nice for his own good despite his external behavior, but that’s part of what made him Haruka.

It wasn’t long however, before Makoto’s eyes flicked to the sounds of mumbling, another body in the shop. Not only was this body half naked, wearing nothing but shorts, but he was a very unfamiliar man. One that had started picking up the small blue camera that Makoto recognized as Haruka’s, and what in the world was another guy doing in Haruka’s flowershop?!?   
  
Makoto was shocked, and could feel the anger rising in him. Who… was that? Could it be a burglar? No, he was just looking at the camera with interest, what kind of burglar didn’t go for the cash register and instead focused on a small digital camera on the counter? Scanning the room for other possibilities, and perhaps Haru himself, Makoto’s gaze settled on the form of a crumpled jacket. 

The same jacket Haru was wearing last night.

That was it, Makoto thought, this guy was bad news, and he had to go. Setting down the grocery bag as quietly as possible, Makoto kept his eyes on the strange guy with fairly long red hair, tanned skin, and a physique that could prove deadly as the guy held the camera like it was something utterly and completely strange. He peered at it, face scrunched in wonder and one hand on his chin. At least he did, until Makoto set down the bag a little too noisily. 

“Hah?” They guy snapped around to glare at Makoto, eyes nearly as scarlet as his hair and peered down at him. It was a look Makoto didn’t like, and he gritted his teeth. If this burglar was going to bring any harm to Haru or the shop, Makoto would protect them. 

Then he did something he would never do otherwise, if Haru or anyone he cared about was in danger. He dashed forward from his point on the floor and tackled the guy, wrapping his arms around a muscled but slender waist and both went crashing to the floor with a loud thump, making Haru perk up from where he was upstairs and wonder what the noise was.

A tanned leg swung out and knocked Makoto backwards as the intruder fell on his shoulder, though not as hard as Makoto would have hoped. He avoided the kick narrowly by leaning back, but then grabbed a leg and was unwilling to let the opportunity pass him by to incapacitate the guy.    
  
“Who are you and what did you do with Haru?!” Makoto all but shouted out, and the downward tilt to his eyes and upturned corners of his lips gave him the appearance of a madman during interrogations. On the other hand that’s exactly what he was doing, and it made little difference when the guy snapped back.   
  
“Let go of my legs dammit! I just GOT them!” If the words surprised the green-eyed young man, he didn’t show it, but then a quick glance of carmine eyes to the side spotted one of the chairs at the counter before reaching out to grab it. Makoto jerked in alarm as the tanned arm heaved it towards the both of them, and he barely jumped back, skittering to his feet clumsily.   
  
“What’s going on?!” Came a smooth but authoritative command from the blue-eyed newcomer who was now shifting to the bottom of the stairs just as the chair clattered noisily to the hardwood floor.

“Haru!” Makoto’s head whipped around to gaze in wonder and sparkle with relief at the sight of his long-time friend who was very clearly unhurt, and still dressed in his pajamas which consisted of his usual swimsuit, black with purple stripes, and a slightly oversized Loosey-kun t shirt complete with the goofy character imprint on it.

“Makoto...?” That smooth voice asked coolly, and Makoto was hit with a wave of relief, glancing over to make sure that Haruka was indeed okay. Thank the gods. He paled with the incredulous comment the redheaded intruder made, however, blinking a few times to make sure that he’d actually heard correctly. 

“Hey, fishbait! What the hell’s with that shirt?” Realizing he was still in the room, Makoto then jumped up and planted himself protectively in front of his childhood friend who had no choice but to back off a step and make room for him, as large as he was, and with a slight air of annoyance.   
  
“Haru, please run next door and call the police while I keep this intruder busy. He looks dangerous.” Not taking his eyes off the stranger in the flower shop, Makoto inclined his head so Haruka could hear him speak and hopefully would do his bidding. 

“Dangerous?! You’re the one that attacked me!” The redheaded man spit out, clenching his fist but not moving closer, only relaxing with a heated frown as Haruka placed a hand in front of Makoto, stopping him from moving anymore and sliding between the two.    
  
“Makoto, it’s not what you think.” The brunette watched as Haruka’s eyes were fierce and intent, calming him down greatly. He tried to remember the last time he’d seen Haruka so serious, and found it had been far too long.

“Huh? Do you know him?” He finally asked of the raven, who glanced off to the side with a nervous gaze, and Makoto had his answer. Yes, Haruka knew him, and there was something that he was keeping from Makoto.

Then the intruder, or not so intruder at this point, swept right up behind Haruka and clasped his arms around his waist in a hug only lovers allowed and stared intently and possessively into Makoto’s eyes, his chin resting on Haruka’s shoulder. The guy may be smaller than Makoto, but that grin on his face was dangerous as he purred out, “Aw, sweetheart, looks like we’ve been found out.”

Instantly Makoto recoiled as Haruka shot an elbow into the stomach of the guy, his own face paling at an action he hadn’t seen Haruka take in years since their feisty days in high school and a small slip of nervous laughter bubbled out of his throat. 

“This is Rin. He’s the son of a close family friend from overseas,” Haruka deadpanned in explanation to Makoto while the supposed Rin doubled over, clearly affected by the raven’s jab and murmuring something about everyone being so violent. Really, who was he to talk? “He got mugged and all his money, clothes, and bags were stolen so I was asked to take him in.” 

“Hey what kind of lame ass story is that!? At least make it way cooler!” Rin snapped, baring extremely sharp teeth and a pissy attitude, but the look on Haruka’s face as he told Makoto was something strange. It held a small hint of amusement to it, and in his eyes, and Makoto couldn’t help but wonder at this new guy that already had brought out sides of his friend he hadn’t seen in years. Though it was also becoming obvious this guy was more bark than bite, even with the sharp teeth. 

So Makoto couldn’t do much but sigh, the small usual smile slipping back on his face much to Haruka’s surprise. “Okay, I think I got it.” He turned then, and Haruka could see something small in the way his lips twitched that unsettled him. “Do you think I could talk to you alone for a bit, Haru-chan?” Definitely unsettled him when Makoto used that nickname.

Haruka nodded though, agreeing, and as Rin watched him hang his head slightly, his eyes narrowed. He could clearly see there was something about these two, and as Haruka followed the green-eyed giant out, his frown grew and he placed a somewhat contemplative hand at the nape of his neck. That was an odd way for them to go, just leaving him standing half naked in this shop, but he supposed he couldn’t do anything about it anyways. There was definitely something odd about the two though.   
  


 

In the kitchen, Makoto placed the plastic bag he’d brought with him on the counter, the writing on it naming the classic “Thank you” of the local grocery store as Haruka watched, head tilted slightly in question. It wasn’t like Makoto to bring food over.    
  
“I felt bad about leaving you yesterday, so I thought I’d drop by early to make you breakfast,” he started, then chuckled. “Though, it’s probably better you made it since I still can’t cook.” 

Haruka blinked, then sighed slightly, touched by the gesture which elicited a wider smile from the brunette. But the events of last night had Haruka’s mind thinking about the reason for why Makoto had to leave. “What about Kisumi?” he’d asked, and that curt way of talking Makoto knew was only Haruka’s way of showing concern despite the impassiveness of his expression at the moment, and it was Makoto’s turn to grew a bit more serious as he turned back to the counter, for some reason unable to look Haruka in the eye.

“He’s fine. He’s tougher than he looks, kind of similar to how you are.” At that Haruka’s eyes narrowed in a glare that made Makoto chuckle and was part of the reason he’d said it in the first place. He knew his friend didn’t like being compared to Kisumi at all, and it was always plain as day on his face whenever Makoto brought it up, but really the two were similar. In… some aspects. Inner strength though, was one of them and it was something Makoto admired in the both of them. “Actually, I see a lot of your qualities in him.” 

Now that remark had Haruka pouting further as the glare intensified, and it made Makoto really laugh nervously, covering up a small blush as he admitted, “That… came out a lot weirder than I intended, sorry.”

When Haruka turned his head to look away, Makoto wondered just when he got to be so unreadable, and it clenched at something inside his chest so much so he lowered his voice to a slightly dangerous level and asked, “So… are you going to tell me who he is?” 

This made Haruka jerk back towards him, eyes wide, as he hadn’t seen this side of Makoto before, and it unnerved him all the more and to the point he felt like he needed to confirm the story he’d made up earlier. “I told you. His name is Rin.” 

Makoto sat up then, his downturned green eyes looking right through Haruka as if he could completely see through the lie. Well, it wasn’t a lie that his name was Rin right now, since that was the name Haruka had given him while he didn’t have his own, but he clenched his jaw slightly at the fact that that gaze told him that his best friend really didn’t believe him completely. 

“‘Rin’... I see,” he started, finally releasing Haruka from his gaze as he closed his eyes and turned, bringing a hand under his own chin in wonder. “You know I think I’ve heard of him before,” he glimmered with amusement as he continued. “When you were thirteen, you had a goldfish named ‘Rin’, didn’t you?” 

Haruka’s eyes widened in shock. Had Makoto remembered that? Did he really see right through the name? Or did he just find it coincidental?

“And when you were about twelve, you had a stuffed animal named ‘Rin’ because you also wanted a baby brother,” he continued and Haruka was growing more and more nervous. He hoped it didn’t show on his face.

“And when you were sixteen, you named that small plant in the back of the shop ‘Rin’ to tend to whenever you felt lonely, right?” Oh no… Makoto was very clearly seeing right through the ‘coincidence’ that Haruka had named the guy ‘Rin’, and he bit his lip, fidgeting nervously. 

“Makoto…” he started, as he didn’t think the brunette would remember all that! They had been close, but to remember tiny details? The guy merely smiled though, watching the emotions play out in Haruka’s eyes and in his gestures and was glad he was still able to read his childhood friend. 

“Haru,” he started, placing a hand on the raven’s wrist and turning him so he could look directly into those wide ocean blue eyes, much to the other’s surprise. 

“It’s okay if there is… something between you and him,” he half-whispered, indicating the seriousness of what he was saying despite the kind smile on his face which only grew as Haruka realized what he’d said. “I just want to make sure things are okay with you.”

With that, Haruka could feel his own chest clench tightly. Was Makoto really just… letting him go like that? It pained him more than he was relieved that he hadn’t found Haruka out, and it left a bad taste in Haru’s mouth and a pout on his lips. 

  
Makoto had just said it was okay for him to… be with another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO SORRY this chapter is late... I've been working on some other things as well as life has gotten busy. Updates may be 2 weeks (I also want to know where the story is going a bit more than just a few chapters ahead), but I'll try to make sure it's no more than 2 weeks!

**Author's Note:**

> I must really like secrets or something... haha. Enjoy though! The idea may not be mine, but I enjoyed it enough to want to let other fans do so too! (Especially if they see through shipping goggles like I do) 
> 
> I also encourage you to go read the original, linked in the notes above!


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